"Sometimes love is not loud. It's just a light left on for you, even when you're late."
---
Friday Evening — Hana's Home
Mio stood at the threshold of the Watanabe household, bag in hand, eyes wide and cautious. The sound of soft laughter and the clatter of dishes drifted from the kitchen. It already felt nothing like her own home.
"You can come in, you know," Hana smiled. "We don't bite."
Mio stepped inside slowly.
The warmth hit her first.
Not heat — warmth. In the cushions that didn't match, the slightly worn rug, the family photo frames that lined the wall. It was messy. Alive.
"Ah! Mio-chan, right?" called Hana's mother, peeking out of the kitchen. "We're so happy to have you! Dinner will be ready soon — hope you're hungry!"
Mio bowed. "Thank you for having me…"
"No need to be so formal! Just call me Auntie if you'd like."
Mio blinked, startled.
Auntie?
She'd never called anyone that before.
---
Dinner — A Seat at the Table
There were five of them at the table — Hana, her parents, her younger brother, and Mio.
The dishes were simple: miso soup, grilled fish, rice, a pile of tempura. Nothing extravagant.
But everyone talked.
They laughed.
Hana's father told a terrible joke. Her brother teased her for spilling soy sauce.
And Mio—
She laughed.
Not the polite kind.
The real kind.
No one expected her to perform.
No one watched her every move.
She was just… welcome.
When Hana gently nudged her foot under the table, Mio looked over and whispered, "I think I might cry."
Hana smiled and whispered back, "Me too."
---
Later That Night — The Guest Futon
They changed into pajamas and sat side by side on Hana's bed, brushing their hair. The room was small and cozy, filled with books, posters, and little decorations. So different from Mio's blank walls.
"Do you like staying here?" Hana asked.
Mio nodded slowly. "I thought places like this only existed in dramas."
"You can come any time," Hana said. "There's always space for you."
There was silence for a moment.
Then Mio whispered, "It's the first time I've felt safe in… I don't know how long."
Hana turned.
Mio looked at her — eyes wide, raw.
"I'm scared," she said. "Because this feels like something I'll lose."
"You won't."
"You say that now…"
"I'll say it again tomorrow. And the day after."
Mio's breath caught.
And then she leaned forward.
Slowly.
Hesitantly.
And their lips met — soft and unsure, no fireworks, no dramatic music.
Just warmth.
Just finally.
Mio pulled back first, trembling slightly.
"Was that okay?" she whispered.
Hana rested her forehead against hers.
"It was everything."
---
Elsewhere — The Cold Machinery Moves
At that same hour, Ayaka Katagiri sat in a sleek private office.
She spoke quietly into her phone.
"Yes. Watanabe Hana. Her presence around my daughter is becoming… problematic."
A pause.
"No, I'm not suggesting expulsion. Yet. But I would like a conversation arranged with the principal. I'm considering a change of environment for Mio."
Another pause.
"She doesn't need to know. Not yet."
Ayaka hung up.
She looked out the window at the night skyline.
"Love makes girls stupid," she murmured. "I won't allow it."
---
The Morning After — Unaware
Mio and Hana woke late and cooked breakfast together. Hana's brother teased them again.
Mio tied an apron around her waist and laughed as she burned the toast.
It was imperfect.
And it was perfect.
Because for just a little longer—
Mio didn't know the world outside was shifting.
Didn't know the cold hands of control were reaching for her again.
Didn't know that every second of peace was now borrowed time.
But in Hana's home, with laughter in her ears and a gentle hand brushing hers—
She was finally alive.
---
End of Chapter 10
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